Blancher



July 9, 1935. w NicHOLOY 2,007,3$1

BLANCHER Filed Dec. 31, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 other Patented July 9, 1935 Winford Nicholoy, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to Scott-Viner Company, Columbus, Ohio, a

v corporation of Ohio Application December 31, 1931, Serial No. 584,157

' Claims. (cums-194) Thepresen-t invention relates to vegetable canning equipment and more particularly to a machine to combine within 'itselffla hydraulic elevator, a washer, and a blancher. 1 i

To .the present time the process of blanching has been an art Wholly independent of the washing and elevating process. Peas-and other. materials have been carried within tubes rotated about a centrally located axis, and parallel thereto, to be intermittently placed intermediate a conduit containing water under pressure, and a dischargeconduit' into which the materials were discharged onto screens or 'into vats, or' to other receptacles.

The objects of the present invention, among others, include the following: 1

i To provide a'novel means whereby peas or cannable materials are concurrently washed, and blanched, andelevated' f To provide an improved process and apparatus to decrease the time necessary to blanch a given quantity of peas.-

To introduce an unique system of applying steam i113, blanching-process. V A novel method of blanching in which the apparatus for blanching is confined within the area'iof a hydraulic" elevator. 1

To provide a machine to accomplish theabove named objects in 'a uniform, progressive, and uninterrupted manner.

With the above objects and other desirable objects which appear throughout the following description in view, the invention resides in the unique construction, novel combination, and improved arrangement'of the elements set forth in the following specification and appended claims, and in the process in Which such elements are used. e i

With reference to the accompanying drawings where several'figures are presented and in which.

like reference figures are indicative of the same parts: q

' Figure 1 is anortho'graphic top view of a blancher embodying the invention with parts removed; I v f i i Figure 2 is a, section. taken inelevation as indicated by line 2--2 in Figure 1;

Figure .3 is an orthographic bottom view of the blancher with parts-removed; i

Figure 4 is an orthographic illustration of a pea hopper; v i a Figure 5 isa plan :view of a gear box in detail;'and '1, A

Figure 6 .is a transverse sectional view of the stream manifold taken at line 6+6 in Figure '3..

versed by both rows of said tubes.

Reference is first had to Figure 2, where it will be observed that legs ill, placed at equal intervals about a cylindrical shell H are secured thereto by brackets l2 at points in a common horizontal plane, and serve to support the blancher. At the bottom of shell II is a flanged collar I3, articulated to incorporate a fiange M, to which is secured bottom plate I5 by means of bolts l6. I

The bottom plate l5 embodies a number of reenforcing ribs ll radiating from hub IB. Also, it embodies threaded holes liland to receive nipples for the accommodation of elbows 2| and 22.

Near the left side of the bottom plate'is a rectangular pump discharge opening 23 and auxiliary pump suction opening 24, both lying longitudinally to the radii of the plate. To cover openings 23 and .24 are'chests, parallelepiped in' shape, constructed with'vertical side members 25 and 26 and bottom plates 2? and 28 respectively, there being therein holes. 29 and 30. To the underside of bottom plate I5 is secured an arcuate manifold 96 by means of studs 96a. Said ma'nifold has a chamber 9! which covers small apertures 98 extending through the bottom plate l5. Apertures 88 are equal radii from hub l8 and at such a distance therefrom that they lie within a narrow path common to'the outer and inner rows of blanching tubes 54, and to be trans- In the lower 'and outer wall of the manifold is a circular opening 99 which contains threads engaged by a steam pipe I00. i

i The top of cylindricalshell l l is enclosed similarly to the bottom by the combination of an angle collar 3| flush with the top of the shell securing top plate 32 thereto by means of bolt 33. Re-

. enforcing ribs 34 radiate at equal angles from hub 35 in the top plate. Directly above pump discharge opening 23 is an elliptical. discharge opening 36 in the top plate 32 covered by casting 31, the discharging part of the device. down on the top plate 32, counterclockwise and adjacent to-a discharge opening 36, is a similar elliptical opening 38, the pea filling opening, which is covered by the pea filling casting 39. In Figure 4 is shown a hopper 4!) attached to feed the pea filler casting 39. Counterclockwise and adjacent to opening 38 is a third similar elliptical opening 4|, a water opening, covered by casting Covering opening 4| and flush with the unde surface of. the topplate 32 is a screen 43.

. Elsewhere in the top plate is steam inlet opening 44, safety valve opening and safety valve Looking 46, and pressure gauge opening 41 and pressure gauge 48.

Between hubs l8 and 35 is main shaft 49 with shoulders 58 to lie adjacent the inner surfaces of end plates l5 and 32, there to coact with nuts 5| on either end, and prevent longitudinal movement and rotation thereof.

Top rotor casting 52 is identical to bottom rotor casting 53, and the two, with the pea blanching tubes 54 intermediate, go to make up a cage to rotate about the main shaft 49. In the bottom of each blanching tube is a screen 54a (see Figure 2). The top rotor casting comprises a hub 55, the spokes 55 radiating therefrom terminating in an annular rim 51' with a fiat face 58 contiguous to the plain inner surface of top end plate 32.

Similarly, bottom rotor casting comprises hub 59, spokes 39, and annular rim 6|, with flat face 62 contiguous to the inner flat surface of bottom end plate l5. Spokes 56 and have ribs 63 and 64, respectively, which are integral and coextensive therewith. To the periphery of rotor castings 51 and BI are, respectively, rotor drive sprockets 65 and 65 operatively connected to driving sprocket Wheels 61 and 68 by means of roller chains 89 and 10.

Lying in common vertical elements of cylindrical shell Ii are rectangular openings H and 12. These openings provide for the driving means for the rotor drive sprockets 65 and B5. The driving means adjacent opening H and 12 are identical. A description of one will suflice.

Covering opening 72 is a gas tight gear box 13 securelyfastened to shell H and angle collar [4. The top plate 14 of gear box 13 contains an integral journal with an internal circular shoulder 15a, and block 15 of which the lower end is lined with a stationary bushing 16. The upper and outer end of block I5 is lined with an adjustable bushing 1'1. Bushing l! is drawn downwardly by tightening the nuts 18 on studs 19 against the flange 89 of said bushing to compress the packing 8| more firmly against circular shoulder 15a and driving shaft 82 to thus insure a gas tight joint. Sprocket wheel 68 is carried at the lower end of shaft 82 in alinement with and to drive annular sprocket ring 56.

The plan of gear box 13 is shown in Figure 5, which shows a horizontal chain guide 83 anchored in a stationary manner to the under side of top plate 74 and on the far side of journal block 15. The free end of chain guide 83 is bifurcated'to carry a roller 84 which rotates about the vertical axis thereby provided. Anchored to the near side of the top plate 14 and in alinement with the anchorage of arm 83 and journal block 15 is a chainguide bearing pin 85. One end of chain guide 85 is secured to pin 85 in a pivotal manner, and carries between divided elements of the free end a chain guide roller 8'! in a horizontal plane common to roller 84, sprocket wheel 68, annular sprocket ring 66, and chain 10, to rotate about a vertical axis. Between the free ends of chain guides 83 and 88 is a contracting coil spring,

88 tending to pull chain guide roller 81 toward chain guide roller 84 against the tension of the continuous chain 10, to thus keep said chain taut.

The similar mechanical arrangement about opening H at the top of the shell ll drives annular sprocket ring 65 through actuation of driving shaft 89.

Flange couplings 90 and 9| couple shafts 82 and 89, respectively, to shafts 92 and 93, which are 75 operated concurrently by a connection to main operating shaft 94 within housing 95, which, in turn, is actuated by a prime mover not shown.

The operation of this machine is as follows. First, the entire chamber formed by shell I I and the end plates is filled through inlet 44 with steam under pressure. The resulting steam pressure in the shell is indicated by a steam pressure gauge 48 attached at opening 41. A safety valve 46 attached at opening 45 will be actuated to release the pressure before it can do damage or rupture the walls of the chamber.

The prime mover will then turn the rotor castings, by means of the intervening linkage and chains 69 and 10, the rotation being in an anticlockwise direction as viewed from above. Assuming no peas to be within any of the blanchingtubes, the blanching tube immediately under the pea feeder hopper 40 will be charged with peas from a source not shown and by means of feeder hopper 40. The peas are held in the tube by screens 54a in the bottom thereof. During the filling of this blanching tube, it has been rotated by the rotor casting from under the pea feeder hopper 4| to be thereby cut off from the source of supply.

The next stage of operation will occur as the blanching tube reaches the water opening 41, where water, previously heated to the boiling point, is introduced into the tube to fill the space around the peas. Here, as before, the supply communicating to the blancher tube, is cut off by the tube being rotated from under the supply opening. The screen 43, which is flush with the lower face ofthe opening 4|, prevents any of the peas from being buoyed by the water into line with the lower edge of the opening to be sheared incident to the passing of'the tubes therefromunder. What slight amount of water remains in the tube serves to cushion the peas as they drop into the tube. When this particular tube illustrated has transversed the pea filler hopper and the water filler hopper, the tubes successively following are transversing the same stages and in the same order.

After passing the water opening, the blanching tube next passes over a series of steam jets 98 which inject steam therein from pressure within the closure 91 of the manifold 96 and supplied thereto by steam pipe I09 connected to a steam source. Thus, the tubes are entirely surrounded by hot steam within the chamber and are supplied by additional live steam through jets to facilitate a higher ambient temperature to lend greater speed to the blanching process. As the tube continues in its counterclockwise movement,'it eventually arrives under discharge opening 36 and concurrently over opening 23 in the bottom plate l5. At this time water under pressure from a source not shown is supplied along with a quantity of air through a co-opening 29 within chest 25 and through opening 23 to discharge the peas upward through pea discharge casting 31 and into a conduit I0 I.

Before reaching the discharge opening 36, the peas have been thoroughly blanched by the heating effect of the steam within the chamber and also injected within the tube. The tube then rotates further to be positioned over the-pump suction opening 24 where most of the water remaining in the tube,'after passing the discharge opening stage, is drawn from the tube by an auxiliary pump, not shown, and before said tube is transported to register with the pea filler opening. Part of the discharge opening is ahead of the pea filler opening. Simultaneously, at the pea filling station as the remaining water is being sucked from the tube, the. peas through pea filler casting are being fed into the tube, and screen 54a. prevents these'peas from .passing beyond the tube. ,Thevamount of peas allowed to fall within a blanching tube is regulated by the speed of. the rotor casting, asis theamountof water'permitted to enter the tube for discharging the peas in the stage just preceding. In the stage following the pea filling stage, where hot water is allowed to fill the tube, the water fills the tube completely, and, since the bottom of the tube is sealed by being in contact with the bottom plate and the opening in top plate is screened to-pievent peas from floating out of the tube into the water inlet to be damaged by rotor, an excess of water cannot possibly be supplied.

- Openings l8 and 20 in the bottom plate l5 and on either side of fiatannular rim 6| of the rotor provide a means of escapement for condensed steam as it accumulates within the chamber when it is cooled.

Thewate-r as introduced into the blanching tubeat the pump discharge opening 29 may be heated so that such water upon entering the tubes will not cool them. It is only necessary to pump the quantity of one full tube of water into a tube to elevate all of the contents into the pea discharge opening. This same water is removed from the tube'in the next operation by a suction pumpthrough the pump suction opening 30, and while that tube is being filled with peas. The water so sucked from the tubes is conducted to a reservoir from which the discharge pump is supplied, hence the same water, except for a small amount of make-up water to replace the loss in the elevating operation, is continuously utilized for elevation of the peas. lQhe-refore this circulating body of water when heated to approach the temperature of the tubes will not cool the tubes, whereby the blanching process is expedited.

The water carried with the blanched peas into the discharge conduit is recovered when the peas are separated therefrom to be reheated and reintroduced at water opening 4|.

Thus all Water used in connection with the blancher is kept at a high temperature and used in a continuous cycle until it accumulate-s a certain amount of foreign matter when it is replaced. The whole process lends to decrease the time required to blanch a given quantity of peas which fact materially increases the'quality thereof, and minimizes the destruction of valuable vitamins and mineral salts.

Agitation of the peas by water being introduced into the blanching tubes forthe blanching process and for the elevating process, in addition to further agitation elfected by injection of steam into the filled tubes, accomplishes a tho-rough washing of said peas. A rinsing is given the peas after they have been delivered by the discharge tube to vats or screens and separated from the blanching water which is salvaged, because of its high temperature, for further use.

The invention is adaptable to the blanching of various vegetables or fruits, and while specific reference has been had to peas, it is understood that no limitation is thereby intended.

What I claim is new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a machine for washing, blanching and elevating peas or the like, a source ofsteam under pressure, a source of air under pressure, anda source of liquid under pressure, a casing, a plurality of tubes movable in said casing, closure members approximating theendsof said tubes and havingtherein openings, some'of said open-- ings being restricted, conduits from said're stricted openings to said-source of steam, con duits from other oilsaid openings to said source of air and said source of liquid, meansfor filling said tubeszone-after another with peas to be washed, blanched and elevated, means for-in: jecting steam from said source of steam into 'the tubes containing peasand means for discharging said tubes of theircontents, said discharging means including means for releasing into said tubes air from said source of air under pressure and liquid from said source of liquid under pressure. 2. In a machine for washing, 'blanching and elevating. peas and the like, a source of steam under pressure, a source of hot liquid, a source ofair under pressure, a source of other liquid under pressure, suction means, a casing, a plurality of tubes movable in said casing, closure members approximating the ends of said tubes, said closure members having openings therein in circular alinement with said tubes,some of said openings being restricted, conduit means from said restricted openings to said source or steam, conduit means from another or said openings to said source of hotliquid, conduit means from another of said openings to said source of under pressure and said source ocf liquid'under' pressure, conduit meansfrom another of said openings to said suction means, means for charging said tubes one after another with peas, means for thereafter filling said tubes with hot liquid from said source of'hot liquid, means for inject ing steam into said tubes: from said source of steam, means for discharging the contents of said tubes in seriation, said discharge means com.- prising. means for injecting the liquid and air under pressure into said tubes to elevate the peas and hot water therefrom, and means: for rendering said suction means effective to remove the last injected liquid from said tubes.

3. In a washing, blanching and elevating machine for peas, sources of material, steam under pressure, liquid, air under pressure, and liquid under pressure, and suction means, a chamber for steam, conduit means from said source of steam to said chamber, end plates for said chamber, a plurality of material holding tubes normal to and intermediate said end plates, one of said plates having a discharge opening and other openings, conduit means from said source of material and said source of liquid to said openings, the other of said end plates having restricted openings and other openings, conduit means from said source of steam under pressureto said restricted openings, conduit means from said sources of air. under pressure and liquid under pressure to other of said openings, conduit means from said suction means to another of said openings, all of said openings being in circular alinement with said material holding tubes, said air pressure and water pressure opening being opposite said discharge opening, and said suction opening being substantially opposite said material opening, and means for moving said tubes relatively to said openings.

4. In a washing, blanching and elevating machine for peas and the like, sources of material, steam under pressure, liquid, air under pressure, liquid under pressure, suction means, a chamber for steam, conduit means from said source of steam under pressure to said chamber, end plates for'said chamber, a plurality of material holding tubes normal to and intermediate said end plates, one'of said plates having a discharge opening and other. openings, conduit means from said sources of material and liquid to said other openings, the other of said end plates having restricted openings and other openings, conduit means from said source of steam under pressure to said restricted openings, conduit means from said sources of air under pressure and liquid under pressure to other oisaid openings, conduit means from said suction means to others of said openings, all of said openings being in circular alinement with said material holding tubes, said air pressure and liquid pressure opening .being opposite said discharge opening, and said suction opening being substantially opposite said material opening, and means for moving said tubes relatively to said openings, said tubes in moving being adapted to encounter said material opening, said liquid opening, said steam openings, said'air and liquid pressure openings and said discharge opening simultaneously, and said suction opening, in the order stated.

5. In a machine for washing, blanching and elevating peas and the like, a source of steam under pressure, a source of liquid, a source of air under pressure, a source of liquid under pressure, suction means, .a chamber for steam and having openings therein for removing water therefrom and another opening thereinto, a steam pipe from said opening to said source of steam under pressure, an end plate on said chamber having in circular alinement therein a discharge opening, a material filler opening, and a fluid filler opening, a screen in said fluid filler opening to prevent floatation of material, a second end plate opposed to said first end plate and having openings in circular alinement therein, one said opening being opposite said discharge opening, conduit means from said first opening to said sources of air under pressure and liquid under pressure, a second of said openings being substantially opposite said material filler, conduit means from said second opening to said suction means, other of said openings being restricted, conduit means from said restricted openings to said source of steam under pressure, material holding tubes within said steam chamber and having opening ends closely approximating said end plates and in circular alinement with and adapted to pass over the openings therein, material supporting means within the lower ends of said tubes, rotary means journalled in said rotary bearing means within said chamber and supporting said tubes, and means for rotating said supporting means and material holding tubes upon said bearings, said material holding tubes in rotating encountering said material filler opening, said fluid filler opening, said restricted steam openings, said discharge opening and air and water pressure openings simultaneously and said suction opening, in the order stated.

WINFORD E. NICHOLOY. 

